Information from estate papers relating to KINGMAN and POBJOY in the archives in Somerset and Bristol Record Offices.
Leases like this were commonly granted for 99 years provided three named persons ('lives') lived that long. Tenants often made their younger children 'lives'. When one 'life' died, a lease with a new life could usually be had by paying a premium. Earlier leases include feudal obligations to the lord of the manor, such as raising a dog, providing a heifer or labouring on the lord's land every year, but these were later converted into cash. A 'heriot' was payable when an heir took over the tenancy.
Reference: Cited in lease to William POPJOY Jnr dated 1 Dec 1708
Lessor: John CHAMPNEYS
Lessee: William KINGMAN
Property: See below, lease dated 1 Dec 1708
Lives: Hannah, daughter of William KINGMAN
Term: 99 years
Reference: O.11/7, Orchardleigh estate papers, SRO
Lessor: Elizabeth CHAMPNEYS, Widow of Wilmington
Lessee: William POPJOY the Younger, Cardmaker of Frome, son of William POPJOY, Carpenter of Frome
Property: Tenement built by Henry KINGMAN deceased near Bradford Bridge in the parish of Marston Bigot with one acre of meadow or pasture adjoining
Previous Tenant: Formerly William KINGMAN deceased, now William POPJOY the Elder in the right of Hannah his wife
Lives: William POPJOY the Younger and Mary POPJOY his daughter
Term: 99 years
Rent: 5s p.a., one capon at Christmas and two days’ labour
Heriot: 7s
External note: New lease to William POBJOY, 25 Apr 1721
Reference: O.11/36, Orchardleigh estate papers, Somerset Record Office
Lessor: Richard CHAMPNEYS
Lessee: William POBJOY
Property: Tenement built by Henry KINGMAN deceased near Bradford Bridge in the parish of Marston Bigot with one acre of meadow or pasture adjoining
Lives: William POBJOY the Younger, Cardmaker, Mary his daughter, wife of Robert NEWHAM, Cardmaker of Frome Selwood, and Robert NEWHAM
Term: 99 years
Reference: O.11/3, Orchardleigh estate papers, SRO
Lessor: John CHAMPNEYS of Orchardleigh
Lessee: William KING of Ofield in the Parish of Marston Bigot, Fuller, and Mary his wife
Property: Close of arable or pasture, about 2 acres, in or near Frome Little Field
Previous tenant: John POPIOY deceased
Lives: William KING, Mary his wife and John POPIOY her brother
Rent: 5s p.a.
Heriot: 5s
Attorneys: Ralph JOYCE of Ofield, Robert SUTTON of Murtry in the Parish of Buckland
Witnesses: Edward JOYCE, Robert IFIELD, Ralph(?) JOYCE(?), Dorothy CLAY(?), Elizabeth WISE (X)
External note: Surrendered by Robert EDGELL, assignee of William and Mary KING, 12 May 1704, in the presence of Ja: WICKHAM, Ben SHEPHARD
Reference: Cited in lease to William POBJOY dated 10 May 1731
Lessor: Robert SMITH, Gentleman of Frome
Lessee: Richard POBJOY
Property: See below, lease dated 10 May 1731
Lives: Mary POBJOY, William POBJOY, son of Richard, and Ann TUCKER
Term: 99 years
Reference: SMITH family papers at Bristol Record Office
Party of the first part: John SMITH of Combhay Esq, eldest son and heir of Robert SMITH of Combhay Esq deceased by Mary his Wife, also deceased, the only daughter and heir of Thomas BENNETT, late of Steeple Ashton, Wilts, Esq, deceased
Party of the second part: Thomas NAISH of the City of Bath, Gent
Party of the third part: Thomas Bold of the Parish of Saint Clement Danes Middx, Gent
Property: 1) Messuage near the Town Bridge in Frome with the gardens etc belonging to it
Previous tenant: Margaret SMITH, grandmother of John SMITH
2) A dye house, store, room called the Milk House, orchard and close of meadow called Tanners Mead
Previous tenant: Samuel NORMAN
3) A dwelling house with the barns etc. in Rook Lane
4) A close of meadow or pasture behind the same house, about 3 acres
Previous tenants: Henry SMITH Gentleman deceased, since Richard ALLEN Clerk deceased, afterwards Edward MORTIMER
5) A close of pasture in Vinney Lane with Land of Lord Weymouth on the east and west, the lane on the north and the river on the south and a piece of meadow formerly of Mr CABBELLS on the south west, about 4 Acres
6) A close of pastureon the east side of the way leading from Blatchbridge to Longleat, with land of the Lord WEYMOUTH on the south and east, about 7 acres
Previous tenant: Matthew DRUCE
7) A close of pasture in the North Field of Frome near the house formerly Solomon DEBNAM's with land late of Samuel CABBELL Esq on both sides and land late of John CHAMPNEYS Esq on the south, about 2 acres
8) A close of meadow or pasture near Vallis Stile formerly inclosed and divided on the west side from an acre of Ground of John SELWOOD, Gentleman, about an acre
Previous tenant: Anthony COOK (8)
9) Part of BISSes in Keyford
10) Three closes of pasture or meadow ground near the last mentioned messuage, about 9 acres altogether, the several closes or pieces of arable land containing about 18 acres in Keyford Fields
11) Two closes or parcels of arable land, about 2 acres, formerly inclosed out of Keyford Fields
12) Two closes or parcels of arable land, about 2 acres, formerly inclosed out of Keyford Field, with 1 acre belonging to the Vicarage of Frome in the middle of them
13) A close of meadow beside the Highway leading from Frome to Adderwell in a close of the Vicar's called Newish, about half an acre
14) A close of meadow or pasture called Pichen Grove, about an acre
15) A close of meadow in a common mead called Moor Mead, about 2 acres
all belonging to BISSes [Cf. Longleat leases dated 1 Feb 1762, 26 Jul 1762, 9 & 10 Jan 1778 and 25 Mar 1782]
Previous tenant: Richard POBJOY
16) A close of pasture called Rack Close, about 4 acres
17) A close of pasture called THATCHERs Close, about 2 acres
18) A close of pasture ground called YERBURIEs, about 6 acres
19) A close of arable, about 2 acres
Previous tenant: Richard HALES
20) A close of meadow or pasture formerly inclosed near Critchill in the Parish of Frome, part of a tenement called THATCHERs, about 2 acres
Previous tenant: William SHEARMAN (?)
21) A close of pasture near Butchers Mill with the the South Field on the west side and Rodden Down on the east side, about 3 acres
22) A close of pasture near Great Harding (?), with land of Lord Weymouth on the east side and land of the Vicars of Frome on the west side, about 3 Acres
Previous tenant: Theophilus COOK
23) A close of pasture in the West Field of Frome at the Gibbett at Critchill, with land of Lord Weymouth on both sides of it to the south and north west and land late of Mr CABBELL at the lower end of it, about 2 acres
24) A close of pasture in the North Field in Frome about a furlong from the Quarrs in the same field, with land of the Lord WEYMOUTH on the east side and land of Mr CABBELL on the west side
Previous tenant: Robert SHEPPARD, about 3 acres
25) A close of meadow or pasture called the Stall Ground with the lands formerly of George HORNER Esq on the south east side and the land late of Mr CABBELL on the north east side, about 7 acres
26) A close of meadow or pasture near Gaston Stile with land belonging to the Alms House of Frome on the west side and land late of Mr CABBELL on the east side, about 2 acres
27) A close of pasture ground called the Square Parrock, nearly an acre, and a little piece of pasture called the Stich and a close of pasture called Pain's Half, both containing about an acre
28) A close of meadow in Gaston with the great river on the north side and land of Mr LEVERSEDGE on the south side, one acre
29) A close of meadow or pasture by the Pill with Land of Mr CABBELL on both sides, about an acre
30) A close of meadow or pasture in a close called Quarr Close in Gaston, about 2 acres
Previous tenant: Robert EDGELL
31) A close of meadow or pasture ground called Long Mead, about 11 Acres
32) A close of pasture ground called Walworth, about 5 acres
33) A close of meadow or pasture shooting upon Beckington Way, with land of Mr CHAMPINS on the north side, about 2 acres
34) A close of meadow or pasture formerly in the occupation of Abraham WEST, about 2 acres
Previous tenant: John EDGELL
35) A close of meadow or pasture near the house of John MARCHANT, about 3 acres
Previous tenant: John MARCHANT
36) About one acre of pasture with land of Lord Weymouth on the north and south west
Previous tenant: John PENNY
37) A close of meadow or pasture called The Mill Close and adjoining to the Town Mill in Frome, about 3 acres
38) A close of meadow or pasture adjoining land late of Benjamin AVERY Gent, about an acre
Previous tenant: John CANDY
39) Dwelling house
Previous tenant: John JONES
40) A close of meadow or pasture belonging to this tenement and adjoining the vicar's Land, about an acre
41) A close of meadow or pasture in Great Keyford, about an acre
42) A close of pasture without Little Keyford, about an acre
43) A close of meadow in Pecking Grove adjoining land formerly of Mr CABBELL on the west and the river on the east, about an acre
44) A close of pasture called New Close, about an acre
45) A close of pasture adjoining a close called of New Tyning, about 2 acres
46) A close of arable or pasture in Keyford Field, one acre, adjoining land formerly belonging to the Lord of the Manor of Keyford on the west and land of Lord Weymouth on the east
47) A close of arable or pasture in Keyford Field also adjoining land formerly belonging to the Lord of the Manor of Keyford on the east and west, about half an acre
48) about half an acre of arable land in Keyford Field adjoining land formerly of Robert LEVERSEDGE Esq on the east and west and a close of pasture of Lord Weymouth
49) A close of arable or pasture in the West Field of Frome near Cottles Oak abutting upon a gate of a close formerly Henry SMITH's and adjoining land formerly of John CHAMPNEYS Esq on the north and south, about an acre
50) A close of arable or pasture abutting upon both ways leading to Marston near the posthouse there, about an acre
51) About an acre of arable on the way from Marston, adjoining land formerly Mr CABBELL's on the east and west
52) A close of arable land outside Little Keyford, one acre, the west end extending on a close formerly Zachariah BAYLY's, land previously Robert LEVERSEDGE's, and the east end on land formerly Clement THATCHER's
53) A close of arable or pasture at the cross way leading to Keyford, one acre
54) A close of arable or pasture extending from the cross way towards Bulls Quarr, half an acre
All of which are in the parish of Frome Selwood and now in the tenure or occupation of Benjamin AIRES, Henry ALLEN, Richard AIRES, Samuel JESSER, Doctor Samuel BOWDEN, John BAILY, William BARTLETT, Ann CLEMENT, Jeffery COOMBS, Joseph CLAVY, John HART, John FULSTONE, Robert GRATEHEAD, William GIFFORD, William GREEN, John HARRIS, Dr Alexander HOUSTON, Joseph JESSER, John LIPPINCOTT, MOORES, Robert MATTHEWS, William NAIN, William POBJOY, John PICKFORD, John ROSSITER, William SHEPPARD, John STEVENS, William WEST, WEST, Daniel WAYLAND and Roger WEST as undertenants to John SMITH
They were formerly the inheritance of Robert SMITH Esq, great grandfather of John SMITH, and were by him and Robert SMITH his son, grandfather of John SMITH, settled in the jointure on Margaret SMITH, Widow, the late deceased grandmother of John SMITH. Her maiden name was Margaret KINGMAN and she held the properties until her death in the month of March last past
Reference: DD/SAS/3, SRO
Lessor: Richard YERBURY
Lessee: Isaac POBJOY
Property: (68 or 69 Selwood Road)
Lives: Isaac POBJOY, John WEBB (son of Gregory WEBB), and William EVANS, son of John EVANS
Condition: Isaac to erect a tenement on the plot within one year